Electrolytic lightning-arrester.



E. E. F. CREIGHTON.

ELECTROLYTIC LIGHTNING ABRESTER. APPLICATION rush SEPT. 2, 190a.

1,004,533. n ed pt-26,1911.

Fig. I.

Q: E 4 Fig. 2.

W tnesses Inventor Wi wam M I5 ply ceases to value.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELMEB E. F. CREIGHTON, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTROLYTIC LIGHTNING-ABRESTER.

Specification of'Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 26, 1911.

Application filed September 2, 1908. Serial No. 451,300.

and other abnormally high voltage or fre-' quencies due to lightning, current surges, and the like. ,I have heretofore invented two forms of li htning arrest'ers, one of the electrolytic con enser type and the other of the liquid electrode type.

Each of these possesses peculiar advantages, and one ob ect of the present invention is to combine in one structure the good points of both.

Another object of this invention is to prevent deterioration of the electrodes by a proper dimensioning thereof with reference to t e volume of the electrolyte.

In the aluminum cell arrester, where two aluminum electrodes are immersed in an electrolyte, such for instance as ammonium borate', the passage, of current through the cell forms on the electrodes a film of oxid or hydroxid which has a, definite resistance depending upon the nature of the electrolyte and the voltage of the current. With copper electrodes, a pressure of two volts will' cause a quiet discharge through the cell, but

with aluminum electrodes the film formed on their surfaces will raise the limiting voltage for ith ammonium borate this may be 400 or 500 volts, due to the fact that the resistant film holds back the current and thus keeps down the current density; a. 0., the amperes per uare centimeter of submer ed surface. So density is kept below a certain value the current-will discharge quietly, simply decomposing the electrolyte into its constituent parts, which are liberated at the electrodes.

ereforefbyv using aluminum electrodes it is possible to run each cell, connected continuousl to the circuit, at some convenient voltage low its critical value, 2'. e., the voltage at which the resistant film gives way, and permitsa rush of current. The film is not permanentlydestroyed but simrestrain the current acting uiescent discharge to a much higher long as the current.

very much like a, spring valve which opens at a predetermined fluid pressure. When the electrical pressure drops below the critical value, the film again shuts it off, just as a spring valvedoes when the liquid pressure falls below the point at which the spring is adjusted to close it. 1

In the liquid electrode arrester, the electrodes are not immersed in the electrolyte, but stand close to or barely touching its surface. Here the critical voltage is much higher than in the aluminum cell, depending not on a resistant film value, but on the difficulty of striking and maintaining an are between a solid metal anode and a liquid cathode.

N ow when the voltage rises above the permanent critical voltage of the aluminum cell, the resistant film valve is no longer effective and a rush of current occurs. But if the surface of the electrodes is not large, the current density will at once increase to a point suflicient to start an are between the electrodes and the electrolyte. This is tl1e ac-. tion of the liquid electrode arrester. As the flow of current increases, the arcing becomes more and more violent until at length the vcritical voltage of the liquid electrode is the voltage reaches a dangerous value.

Since the critical limiting voltage of the liquid electrode arrester is about three times that of the aluminum cell, it is advisable to revent the cell from exercising its full limiting power, unless the insulation of the line .is designed to 'carry that amount of potential for a brief period. The effectiveness of the cell can be limited by choosing an electrode with an exposed surface large enough to discharge a quantity of electricity comparable to the quantity which will be generated on any system. It is thus possible to re late the amount of energy absorbed in t e arrester, so that it will take in all the lightning charge without permitting the voltage across the arrester to rise to a dangerous value.

An ordinary series gap arrester requires a rise of potential to at least 150 per cent.

of the normal before the ga s break down relieves the line to a great extent of the lightning charge before the'point is reached atwhich a gap arrester would just begin to discharge.

From what has been said it will be understood t-hat if a cell which has a permanent critical film voltage of 420 volts is operated at a normal potential of 250 volts, the latter may be termed its temporary critical film. If the pressure rises above this value, the film valves open and there 1s an appreciable rush of current which after a.

voltage.

measurable time will thicken the film and enable it to close again. Above the permanent critical voltage, the film valves open' wide and remain open. The voltage can rise further only by forming an arc and throwing the liquid away from the metallic electrode. The action ofthearrester from normal potential to the maximum liquid electrode potential may be said to advance by sta es; Increases of quantityabove the norma form new filmvalves, or rather, thicken or reinforce the old film valves, up

to the critical film voltage of the aluminum cell. Further increases in quantity increase the current densit up to the point where the arc starts. without any appreciable increase in potential. After the arc starts thecontinued flow of current will raise the potential until the.

critical limiting voltage of, the liquid electrode is reached. The procedure, therefore, which I prefer to follow is to form the film at the normal voltage at which the'cell is to run; that is, the temporary critical voltage, instead of the higher permanent critical voltage. 'A number of such cells connected in series will protect any given line, the circuit being constantly closed. If one cell attempts to increase its voltage, the greater quantity of leakage current in that cell will tend to thicken the film and so equalize the conditions between the cells. 1

Another feature which I have discovered is the necessar relation between the volume of the electrolyte and the submer edsur-' face area of the' electrodes. I fin that if this ratio is large the electrode is less liable to be destroyed? The point on the electrode T is will be accomplished.

at which the most damage is visible is where it enters the electrolyte, and to obviate cor- 'rosion at this point I jacket the electrode a suitable distance above and below the surface of the liquid by means of a glass, or pircelain tube, or a coating of 'wax, or the li e.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a vertical section of a cell embodying my improvements, and Fig. 2 is a diagram of current values.

The jar 1 is made of glass or the like, and has a wide mouth closed by a lid 2 of insulat- ;ing material, throu h which pass two aluminum wires 3, whic dip into a volume of electrolyte 4. The wires are supported in any suitable manner, as for instance by flanged bushings 5 having set screws 6. The electrodes are protected at the point where they enter the electrolyte, either by a glass or porcelain tube '7, or' by a coating 8-of hydrocarbon wax. The volume of the electrolyte is considerable as compared with the wetted surface of the electrodes.

Fig. 2 shows typical forms of oscillograph curves of discharge current when the cell is o crating as a liquid electrode arrester, the different curves resulting from immersion of copper electrodes to difierent depths. These four curves show that the current increases as the surface exposed to the electrolyte increases.

What I' claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of'the United States, is:

1. A lightning arrester of the electrolytic type, comprising aluminum electrodes of such size t at the current density will start an arc to the electrolyte before the critical limiting voltage of a true liquid electrode arrester is reached.

2. A lightning arrester of the electrolytic type, comprising electrodes which first oppose a resistant film to the current flow, and after the critical voltage thereof is passed develop an are which considerably increases the cell opposition to current flow.

3. A lightnin arrester comprising a vessel containing an'e ectrol te, an aluminum electrode pro ecting into t e electrolyte and having a reslstantfilm of such extent that the current density becomes great enough to develop an are which considerably mcreases the cell opposition to current flow before the critical limiting volta e of a true liquid electrode arrester 1s reaclied.

4. Alightning arrester. comprisin avessel containing an electrolyte, and a uminum electrodes rojectin into the electrolyte and having a 1m whic is resistant to the current flow, said electrodes having an immersed surface of such extent that increase of voltage above the critical limiting voltage of said film develops an are which substantially increases the opposition of the cell to current flow.

5. A lightning arrester of the electrolytic tyYe comprising a vessel containing a suitab e electrolyte and aluminum electrodes covered with a resistant film and projecting 5 into the electrolyte said electrodes having their surface so proportioned that at voltages below the crltical limiting voltage of a true liquid electrode arrester the current density will start between the electrodes and the electrolyte an are which markedly increases the resistance of the cell to current 6. The method of operating an aluminum cell lightning arrester, which consists in running it at a normal voltage below its critical film voltage, and providing that the current density shall start an arc which materially increases the op osition to current flow before "the potential rises to the liquid electrode critical voltage. V

In witness whereof, my hand this 31st dav ELMER E. Witnesses:

BENJAMIN B. HULL, MARGARET E. WooLLEY.

I have hereunto set of August, 1908. F. CREIGHTON. 

